Minnesota House approves second tax-cut bill

Minnesota homeowners, renters and farmers would get extra property tax refunds this year under a bill passed unanimously by the House on Friday.

The bill provides $103 million in additional tax breaks, including $45 million in property tax relief, just two weeks after lawmakers passed a measure cutting individual income and business sales taxes by $443 million.

Under the second House tax-cut bill, about 500,000 homeowners would see a 3 percent increase in state-paid homestead credit refunds.

Some 350,000 renters who qualify for renters' credit refunds would get a 6 percent boost.

An enhanced tax credit for homesteaded farms would provide an average $460 property tax reduction for more than 90,000 farmers.

House members voted 125-0 in support of the bill sponsored by state Rep. Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington.

"This second tax bill focuses on ways to make further reductions in property taxes for homeowners, renters and farmers," Lenczewski said in a prepared statement. "We believe this is a responsible way to continue expanding our economy from the middle-out while maintaining our stable budget into the future."

The Senate also plans to pass a second tax relief bill.

The bill comes after DFL Gov. Mark Dayton signed the $443 million worth of tax cuts last month. Republican lawmakers have said those cuts were just a reversal of a series of unwise tax hikes passed a year ago by the Democratic-Farmer-Labor majority.